General question: How does heat treating affect tool making?
Background / more detailed Question:
If I want to make a set of 1-2-3 blocks, how does the heat treat affect the part? From what I've read, I should make the part a thousands or so over sized, and then grind it to final dimensions with a surface grinder. Only, I don't have a surface grinder (ok, I don't have anything right now, and this is more of an intellectual exercise... but still.) How much will the heat treat distort the part? Can I decrease that by annealing the part before machining it? (I don't know if I'm using the right term... What I mean is heat the stock up and allow it to cool slowly to take out the stresses in it, so that when you heat treat it later it won't warp.)
Thanks
Background / more detailed Question:
If I want to make a set of 1-2-3 blocks, how does the heat treat affect the part? From what I've read, I should make the part a thousands or so over sized, and then grind it to final dimensions with a surface grinder. Only, I don't have a surface grinder (ok, I don't have anything right now, and this is more of an intellectual exercise... but still.) How much will the heat treat distort the part? Can I decrease that by annealing the part before machining it? (I don't know if I'm using the right term... What I mean is heat the stock up and allow it to cool slowly to take out the stresses in it, so that when you heat treat it later it won't warp.)
Thanks